Overcoming Energy Poverty: The Role of Sierra Leone’s Legal System in Advancing Renewable Energy Solutions
By: Jamil Sahid Fofanah
S.J.D. Candidate, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Introduction
Sierra Leone faces significant energy poverty, with only 30% of its population having access to electricity, while rural areas lag even further at 5%. The heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels and biomass wood exacerbates economic strain, environmental degradation, and social inequalities.
The blog examines the country’s renewable energy potential, including hydropower, solar, and bioenergy, and analyzes the fragmented legal and policy frameworks governing the sector. Challenges such as high initial costs, reliability issues, and technological gaps are explored, alongside lessons from Bangladesh’s successful off-grid solar initiatives.
The paper thus argues that Sierra Leone’s legal system can accelerate renewable energy adaptation to enhance energy sovereignty by expanding rural electrification, reducing tariff costs, and mitigating climate change. Renewable energy will enhance the country’s energy security and sovereign independence by reducing reliance on global crude oil geopolitics. It will also be more cost-effective for the state than fossil fuel energy. Furthermore, it will improve access to electricity for rural communities that often struggle to connect to the national grid due to inadequate road infrastructure and the isolation of their villages and towns. Moreover, renewable energy will support the state’s vision of a healthy environment and assist in the fight against climate change, which aligns with the state’s efforts to fulfill its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Recommendations include enacting a dedicated Renewable Energy Act, establishing public-private partnerships, and leveraging international climate finance. By addressing these barriers, Sierra Leone can achieve its goals of 85% renewable energy capacity by 2030, fostering sustainable development and energy independence.